NErodio!

Take the LEWS genus Nerodia and combine it with all the crazy action of a rodeo roundup and you have Nerodio. Nerodio is the term we use for our annual Lake Erie Watersnake population census. Held for two weeks every year in late May/early June, the census is used to help establish population estimates for LEWS on the Lake Erie Islands. Over the past decade, over 15,000 watersnakes have been marked and recaptured.

Nerodio can be a lot of work. On a busy day we can catch over 200 snakes that all need to be weighed, measured, and tagged. 8-10 hour days are pretty typical. But working hard just means we get to play harder. Nerodio evenings are filled with bonfires, beverages and trips to our favorite island bars! This mix of good hard snakin’ and fun has made Nerodio an annual 'must' for many of our volunteers. Many working members of Team Snake actually use vacation time to come to the islands and help catch snakes! Over the years Nerodio has had hundreds of volunteers come help out from dozens of different organizations and universities.